


Messenger

by OwlQuill



Series: [Strange Magic Canon Expansion] [3]
Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 06:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7255660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlQuill/pseuds/OwlQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunny is delivering a message to the Bog King. The Bog King does not like him much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Messenger

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [moonlit_wings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlit_wings/pseuds/moonlit_wings) in the [StrangeMagicPrompts2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/StrangeMagicPrompts2016) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Write Bog and Sunny interacting. Bonus points if they're trying to make nice for Dawn and Marianne's sakes.
> 
> (I'm currently planning to incorporate this, or a version of this, in [The Very, Very New And The Very, Very Old](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7030006/chapters/15995932) later)

“Boss? It’s that elf again.”

Bog straightened up from where he had been shoving his shoulder at a huge chunk of wood to help a team of hobgoblins haul it out of the tree they were hollowing out for the new castle.

“Says it’s a message from the Field King this time, and he needs a reply.”

“Oh. That can wait until we’re finished here.” He went back to work. Dagda really couldn’t expect a fellow king to drop everything at his whim.

Sending the elf, Sunny, as a messenger into the Dark Forest had been Marianne’s idea; he had been over a handful of times, so far always carrying a letter or at least a short message from her. Bog still was not certain if the purpose of picking that agent of chaos as a messenger was to tease him, to punish Sunny, both, or something else.

***

Sunny had found a corner out of the way, with a view of the as-of-yet undecorated entrance into the tree. He clutched a scroll case closed with the royal seal in deep green, and tried to not hop from foot to foot too often. He had never had to wait for more than a few moments before, and this time he might have not one, but two kings angry at him if this went wrong. Again.

He ran up to the Bog King as soon as he saw him emerge, sans staff, from behind a crew dragging off half-rotted wood. As he was used to, the goblin king’s customary scowl grew just a little deeper when he looked at Sunny.

“Well?”

“Your Majesty, King Dagda sends you this, this important message. I am to wait for your written reply.”

With a snort, the Bog King snatched the scroll case from Sunny’s hands. He jerked his head in a signal to follow, and stalked over to a ramshackle building, sort of a hut made from a frame of sticks with big, still green leaves forming the roof and three walls. Sunny followed him with quick steps, watching him slice the seal off the container with a claw, and skim the letter.

“Huh.” The Bog King stopped before they reached the goal, and looked at Sunny, one eyebrow raised.

“Uh.” Sunny ducked and drew back a little. “Anything I should know? Your Majesty?”

“That is a good question.” The Bog King’s smirk was not any more reassuring than his scowl, Sunny found.

***

Bog evicted the goblin working at the tallest table in their planning office/command central and sat on the stool that was still a bit small for him. He noted in passing that Sunny was practically covering under the table. Good. With his role in the destruction of the old castle, he couldn’t expect to be popular. Bog did not plan to call for punishment for a handful of reasons, chief among them that the consequences of upsetting Dawn would probably be horrible, but he approved of seeing the elf uncomfortable.

Stretching his legs, he read the letter more carefully. It was nothing unexpected. Sir Roland Green and his cronies had been delivered to the Fair Fields a while ago, preparations for a trial of sorts were being made, and the presence of himself and any useful witness of events pertaining in the night after the Spring Dance was requested.

He grumbled about the whole business starting in only three days’ time, but he had prepared a list of goblins who should come with him and made sure they stayed nearby. The thought of lists of people reminded him of his earlier thought. He couldn’t quite resist.

“Sunny.”

The elf came out of hiding to face him, shoulders slumped and hands fidgeting. “Yes? Your Majesty.”

Bog sneered, the tacked-on formality getting on his nerves. “This is, as you should have guessed if you had any sense at all, about Roland. About the trial. Conspiracy to high treason, I remember Dagda suggesting.” His face had settled in an unfriendly grin. “I’m curious. Do you know already what your role will be?”

“What, me?” Sweat was beading on his forehead, and his eyes were wide.

“You were a crucial participant in that conspiracy, as I understand.”

Sunny sputtered and stuttered, but eventually drew a deep, calming breath. “Dawn said they would stress I was manipulated by Roland, and tried to fix things as soon as I realised how wrong it all was. And. Such.”

“Sounds like a gamble.” Bog let that hang in the air for a moment. “It seems strange that Dagda would risk sending you out. You could run, rather than delivering this, or my reply.”

“I wouldn’t know where to go!” Sunny yelled indignantly. Bog just stared, eyes narrowed, when the elf nearly bit his tongue. Sunny went on, quietly, “Besides, I promised Dawn I’d be there for her when she needs me. I love her.”

The elf flinched again, but Bog merely nodded. He had loosened up a lot about romance.

“We’ll see.”

***

While the Bog King wrote a short reply on the back of King Dagda’s letter, Sunny tried to hold still. Every little thing will be all right. He was still itching to leave. Thinking of Dawn helped calm his nerves a little. He would be able to think clearly about the tangled mess when he was with her. 

A not entirely pleasant daydream involving Dawn breaking him out of prison and them running away together was interrupted when the Bog King held out the scroll case to him.

“Thank you.” He bowed. “Anything else?”

The corners of the Bog King’s lips were drawn down, which seemed like a neutral expression for him, compared to the usual. “Please give the princesses my greetings. I look forward to seeing them again.”

Sunny blinked in surprise at Dawn being included. “I will.”

“That’s all.”

Sunny turned and ran, glad this errand was close to over.


End file.
